Vegan no bake blueberry lemon cheesecake

I'm a little bit too excited about this post.
I received the most beautiful bed linen from Evencki the other day. This lovely plum color makes my knees weak and it was just begging to be photographed with a pretty cake. My inspiration has been low lately and this was exactly what I needed. This, and the beautiful spring weather we're having (our thermometer says 12°C today!). My friend Lua experimented with a raw and vegan cheesecake the other day and she told me all about it when we met over the weekend. So I had to give it a try, too. And I must say I'm very impressed with the outcome. Incredibly creamy, sweet, tangy, rich and just perfect.

I know, this blog is usually all about the sugar and the flour, and it has been for the past.. 5 1/2 years now.
Maybe you're thinking I've stopped eating sugar, flour, eggs and dairy. I haven't, though I really enjoy trying something different every now and then. It's a great way to find some new inspiration, because sometimes you just get stuck in your ways. It's like when I'm trying to think of something to eat for dinner. We have like 5 dishes that we eat over and over again and I can't imagine that there are other dishes in the world except for these 5. I'm like.. "uhmmm, maybe pasta, rice... or potatoes". Does anyone else feel the same way?

Oh, and this cake totally looks huge in the photos but in reality, it isn't. It's only 12 cm, so it's tiny and cute.

NO BAKE BLUEBERRY LEMON VEGAN CHEESECAKE
Makes 1 small cheesecake (12 cm/5 inches)
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
CRUST
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup almonds
pinch of salt

FILLING
3/4 cup cashew nuts, soaked in water overnight then drained*
2 tbsp lemon juice
Zest from 1 small lemon
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup coconut milk (full fat)
1-3 tbsp maple syrup (to taste)
1/4 cup (25 g) fresh or frozen blueberries

TOPPING
Freeze dried blueberry powder
Fresh blueberries
Shredded coconut
Edible flowers

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Soak the dates in warm water for 15 minutes then drain. Put almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the dates and salt and pulse until a paste forms.
2. Press mixture into a 5-inch springform pan (if you don't have a springform pan, use a pie tin or a regular cake pan covered with parchment paper). Put the pan in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
3. Put all ingredients for the filling in a blender and mix until mixture is as smooth as possible. Pour the filling into the crust, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours.
4. Remove the cake from the pan and leave to thaw in room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before cutting. Top with freeze dried blueberry powder, fresh blueberries, shredded coconut and edible flowers. I usually run my knife under warm water (and dry off) before cutting, to make a cleaner cut. Let each piece thaw for a few more minutes before serving.

*If you're in a hurry you can let the cashews soak in very hot water for 1 hour instead of overnight

Recipe adapted from Sift & whisk